To Find a Purpose
by FalloutAngel101
Summary: Heather Hallsworth, a country girl from the South, hard as nails, but when a strange animal appears in the rifle of her cross-hairs and she spares it's life she had no idea what kind of crazy adventure she would be thrown into, nor what purpose she could possibly serve this odd company of short men! OC/Fili , Read and Review please!
1. The How

Dawns' light was beginning to coat the clearing in the woods of Teneha Texas. The dew that had clung to the morning air was beginning drop to the ground, sprinkling it with liquid rhinestone. It would have been a dramatically beautiful sight if it hadn't decided to stick to my skin.

I wrapped my camouflage coat tighter around my shoulders and pulled the hood farther over my head. The chill always got to me. I leaned my rifle up against my knee as it sat perched between my legs and laid my head back against the tree, trying to count the number of leaves in the branches to pass the time.

It was my first time hunting on my own. Although I was twenty three and plenty capable to hunt on my own by the time I was eighteen. I never got into it until now, and the only reason I did was because my entire family hunted on the same property we've owned since I was born. Even my brother, since he was fifteen, hunted on his own and have bagged his own game to brag about to me.

Why did I not start hunting until now? Well call it peer pressure because that's probably what it is. I never liked shooting animals unless I intended to eat them to survive. Well yes, my family ate deer and other game once we killed them, but I found it unnecessary to kill unless we absolutely needed to eat. No before you start thinking I'm some goody two shoe, tree-hugging hypocrite I just love animals, always have and always will. Of course there are the occasional exceptions such as spiders and creepy crawly things that sting and bite and don't deserve to be on planet Earth.

I huffed in boredom and picked up the yellow and black walkie talkie my dad loaned me. I clicked on the right channel and pressed the button on the side, "Dad?"

The slight noise of static reached my ears until he replied, " What Heather?" He was obviously annoyed I was interrupting him during his own hunt. My dads deer stand was a mile up the dirt road in what we called "The Bottom", which was just a sunken in area of the wooden valley of East Texas. I shifted in my sitting place underneath the huge red oak tree, feeling the book I bought in Walmart two days earlier dig into my bottom.

"When are the deer supposed to come out, I'm bored", I whispered, not as if anything at all could hear since there were no animals in sight not even a squirrel.

"I don't know Heather", he replied sarcastically, "They didn't call to set up a meeting."

I rolled my eyes and clicked off the line. Dad was very touchy about his hunting privacy, but personally I didn't see the joy in it. What's so fun about sitting for hours on end until some poor creature unlucky enough to walk out in front of you gets shot?

So far I was the only Hallsworth that had not killed her own deer, and that joke went well around the campfire. They just loved embarrassing me.

I sighed against the tree and shifted the rifle in my hands trying to think of a nice tune to hum. I had a good memory when it came to songs, especially those never ending Disney songs. I started humming 'I Stand Alone' from Quest for Camelot when it walked out not sixty feet in front of me across the clearing.

At first I thought I was dreaming, or perhaps it was a ghost, but I kid you not a white deer had appeared from the other side of the clearing plain as day!

With my mouth hung open slightly, I blinked but it was still there. Then I remembered what it was. Dad told me about these and how he had dreamed of the day he could have it mounted on his wall.

An albino deer, I mused. Only one in thirty thousandth chance you had of seeing this rare mutation in a breed. Dad used to tell me about how the Indians said they were spirit walkers or guardians of the woods and such nonsense. It was a huge deer with at least eight-point antlers that were as white as Christmas could get.

I had to get it, Dad will be so proud!

Slowly as the creature slowly walked with its side facing me across the clearing I lifted my rifle, careful not to breathe too hard as my heart raced in excitement. Today was just my lucky day. I blinked away dust from my eyes, and peered through the cross-hairs and aimed directly behind the shoulder blade like Dad said to.

_I can do this. I can do this. It's just an animal. _

My finger tightened on the trigger, but it wasn't enough to set the bullet free. Then, suddenly, as if it knew my intention from the moment it stepped out of the woods it looked at me.

I paused, releasing the tension on my finger. It's large black eyes seemed to find mine directly in the scope and it nearly froze me there. It looked directly at me, nostrils clenching and unclenching, and ears slightly twitching in front of its large horns. I watched as it rotated its body to where he was facing me, coal eyes still boring into mine.

For a few minutes the wind had stilled and birds in the trees ceased their chirping as if awaiting the outcome of the situation.

Moments passed as my finger hovered over the trigger. I tried to reason with myself. _If I don't kill it now it'll die eventually right? With no natural camouflage predators will eat it. _

By now my finger was tapping the trigger, waiting anxiously to fire and the deer had stilled as if frozen in time. I sighed, closed my eyes and finally lowered the rifle. "Sorry Dadio", I murmured with a slight chuckle and shook my head. I really was a wimp.

I looked up again and the animal had disappeared. The wind was once again blowing and the birds chirping. I hadn't even heard it run away during the stillness.

"That…was weird", I premised.

I slung the rifle over my shoulder and decided to walk back to camp. I was just not cut out for this like the rest of my family was. I stood, with the chill of the wind once again biting into my face, and walked around the big tree I was sitting by. What happened next was completely unexpected and resulted in me jumping almost ten feet back.

There, right as I turned the corner, was the Albino Deer standing in my path staring straight at me.

"Yahh!" I jumped back for my nose had been merely inches from its. I stumbled and flopped back on my ass. The rifle was flung to the ground in a puddle of mud. Dad was going to kill me for that one.

If I thought the deer was large in the woods I didn't even think about how large it was up close. It was muscular, the biggest deer I had ever seen and it just stood there with its two front feet together, facing me and….staring at me? In all my life had I never been so afraid I felt as if I was about to faint.

I looked into its eyes once again. They were like black orbs, depthless and seeingly human from the way the creature studied me. My mouth was hung open like one of those operated puppets, and it was when the deer lowered its head to my level and started stepping toward me that my body started feeling really tired.

I fell back, no longer having the strength to keep my body upright, I was forced to have the cloudy blue sky as my last sight before everything went black.


	2. Hairy Feet, and Hobbits!

**I changed up the story a bit for those who had read it earlier I'm sure you can tell the difference. I know this storys moving quite slowly, but don't worry the company will be introduced here in the next chapter! Oh what is our dear redneck, world-hopping Heather to do!**

**R&R! **

Bilbo was what the shire would call a 'respectable' hobbit. He never meddled, never disturbed and never went on silly adventures like his early ancestors did, and he quite liked it. He loved the shire, it was peaceful, and the view from his front balcony was spectacular. In The Shire, the higher the hobbit-hole the more respectable and rich the hobbit was, and his was at the very top. He had his father and grandfather and grandfather's father to thank for that.

Nope, there was nothing that could possibly get better for the hobbit. He had everything he could ever want. He didn't think anything could change, or he even wanted anything to change. Bilbo watched the folk of the shire meander about. Some of them below were tending to their gardens every hobbit seemed to have, while others were taking strolls with their kin. The annual Pumpkin Patch Contest was coming up, and in the shire, the bigger the pumpkin the bigger your popularity and prize in the contest. Bilbo never participated in such things. Sure, he attended the ceremonies but he wasn't _that_ obsessed with his garden.

After a few good mornings from fellow passing hobbits, Bilbo blew one final smoke ring with the 'Ol Toby before he went inside. He figured he'd follow his usual routine, make some trout for dinner with some rice and poppy seed bread. Possibly work on reading his books then settle for a nice sleep. Then tomorrow….

Well he'll do the same thing he supposed.

Or at least he thought it would be a usual routine. In all his years he didn't expect to find strangely dressed female on his living room floor.

"What the devil?" She was lying face down and….snoring? She was wearing a strange pattern upon her jacket that resembled colors of the earth and leaves, dark brown breeches tucked into boots of some unknown craftsmanship. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a low ponytail and was neither curly nor straight, but wavy and frizzy from lack of care. The poor girl looked as if she had been sleeping in the dirt for days.

Bilbo grabbed his favorite walking stick from his doorway and moved a lock of her hair carefully away from her ears. She was human alright, yet only a couple of heads taller than he was. Just a short human he supposed, or possibly young.

"E-excuse me", He stammered then poked her lightly in the side with the end of his walking stick, "Excuse me!"

The girl groaned and smacked her lips as if she was having a nice dream and wished to sleep forever. In fact she tucked her arms under her head for support and dozed right off again.

But Bilbo wasn't having it. The girl was getting dirt all over his mahogany wood floor. He poked her once again.

"Wake up Miss. Time for you to be off now!"

This time she swatted her hand at the thing and made a mewling sound, "Go the freak away I'm sleeping, Dad."

Bilbo once again cocked his head, "No no no get up lady!" Bilbo then surmised this had been his oddest day yet.

Then her eyes snapped open, which he then learned they were a dark brown color, and as she laid still they moved up to meet his.

"Who…the hell are you?" She asked still not moving from her sleeping position, "And why are you…"

She then screamed rather loudly for the hobbits sensitive hearing to not be damaged. In one motion she sat up and backed up against his mothers jewelry chest. Her head knocked back against the corner of the wall.

"Ouch!" She cradled her head while Bilbo just stared in bewilderment. Her accent was rather..odd. It held a certain sharp twang and slur, as if she was certainly not from here. Which, by the looks of her clothing, she certainly wasn't from here.

"Are you quite alright?" he asked still holding his walking stick. The woman could be chasind for all he knew. Wild and ravenous folk from deep in the wood, he remembered his mother talking to him about it.

"Why in the great blue blazes are your feet ginormous and hairy!" The female was basically clawing up the wall as if his feet would sprout little monsters. Her hair, which had already looked untame, now stuck up in odd places. He subconsciously curled his toes under and crossed his arms.

"I should be asking you why you were sleeping on my floor."

The woman was ignoring him and looking around his hovel as if she had never seen a hobbit hole before. Well she probably hasn't if she's not from here. Bilbo sighed. _This certainly was an odd day indeed. _While he was facepalming at her dumbfounded look around his home he noticed a small leather book on the floor.

He picked it up. The pages were gold lined and on the front were letters 'The Hobbit' and on the bottom 'J.R.R Tolkien'.

"Hey that's mine you!" She had snatched the book away from him before he could look into it any further.

She stood back, clutching the book to her chest possessively, "Now are you going to tell me where I am?"

"How about", he said stopping her from moving anywhere else on his precious floor, "You take off your boots at the door and we can share some afternoon tea and discuss your situation, hmm?"

Before she answered he stomped into his kitchen, mumbling things under his breath about 'unexpected guest'.

Heather took this time to look around. It was a quaint little…hole?

The halls were round as was the front door she slipped off her boots by. Books were piled high on every shelf and table along with scattered lit candles. Was there no electricity here? She looked around to find her rifle and it was nowhere to be found. Then tried to remember where she was exactly and how she got here. The last thing she remembered was the white deer, her falling back and everything going black.

Then the book, clutched to her chest, caught her attention. It was an interesting looking book on the shelf at Walmart. The leather and antique map on the first page is what mainly caught her attention. Even though Heather was an outdoors nut she didn't mind reading about a little fantasy now and then. Her original plan was to read it while she was hunting but she had yet to even start the book.

The little hobbit cleared his throat behind her and handed her a glass of hot tea. Heather looked around and sat down on a nearby armchair after taking a handful of deep breaths.

"Now, let's begin by names. I'm Bilbo Baggins of Bag-End of the Shire and you are?"

"I'm uh-" She forced her hands to stop shaking or else she would spill this tea everywhere, "Heather…Heather Hallsworth of….the.. Texas?"

Bilbo still stared at her as if she had two heads, "Heather Hallsworth of.. the Texas? How very interesting." He took a sip of his gingerberry spiced tea and gestured to hers, "You should drink it will help calm you."

Heather smelled the tea, but didn't dare take a sip, instead she looked up at him as if he were a common criminal, "No funny business?"

Once again this 'Bilbo' cocked his head at her, "Miss Heather I found you asleep on my floor and you are asking me for funny business? No funny business here I assure you!" He paused and furrowed his brows, "And you're still staring at my feet!"

Heather broke her gaze away and took a nervous sip of the tea, which turned out to be quite nice and soothing. "You just look…funny", she chuckled, "Like a gnome."

"I am a hobbit thank you very much!" He protested.

Hobbit? Heather remembered her book was called 'The Hobbit'. What in the heck was going on here?

"What's a hobbit?"

Once again that look from him.

"A hobbit, Miss Heather, are Shirefolk, halflings or whatever the other races call us. We all live here in the Shire, West of Bree."

Blank stare.

"In Middle Earth?"

That still didn't ring a bell, and Bilbo must have caught it because he just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "May I ask where you're from? And why you were on my floor now that we've cleared the introductions? Not that I don't like visitors, mind you, but I like to know them first."

She threw up her hands, "Hey your guess is as good as mine pal. One moment I was in the woods, hunting, the next I was being ambushed by some white deer and the next I woke up to you poking me." She dramatically gestured, "Summary of my day!"

"White deer?" Bilbo mused and lit the end of his pipe, "Never hear of such a thing here I'm afraid."

"Well that's just great", Heather cradled her head in her hands, feeling the days events wear on her, "I don't know where I am, or how I got here, and my dad is going to kill me for ruining his rifle. This has not been my day."

Bilbo puffed on his pipe, but couldn't help but feel pity for the girl. She was lost, or mad either one fit her description right now. Her clothes were filthy and her hair and skin a mess. Not to mention she seemed to have lost her father and something called a 'rifle'. He gave the situation a little more thought before speaking.

"Well I have an idea that might interest you, if you please." He leaned his head forward slightly.

Heather took that as a sign to continue, "And that would be?"

"You could stay here for as long as you wish, seeing that you have no previous occupation or money on you, but you can stay as my housekeeper until your situation has improved or you find out.." he waved the end of his pipe in the air as he searched for the words, "..how to get home?"

Heather looked around the messy but nicely decorated hovel of a home, and sighed. She was in a place she's never heard of full of people she's never seen. She fingered the pages of the book in her hand. This book had something to do with it. 'The Hobbit' and the hobbit sitting right in front of her was no mere coincidence. She needed time to read it, but she needed a place to stay and food to eat. Her father would smack her for even thinking of staying with a strange, but seeing how ridiculously innocent looking this curly headed…errr hobbit..was there was no danger presented here.

"Alright", she agreed and stood up from the armchair, "Now do you have any pop-tarts?"

**Review please! They make me happy **


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